Blonde Redhead - Misery Is a Butterfly
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Free Music Notes for Misery Is a Butterfly
Free Music Review: Defining Their Own Sound
Hit: 4 Stars
Although they have taken a wide turn away from their previous material with their new album, Misery is a Butterfly, the band has finally managed to step completely out of the shadow of Sonic Youth and to solidify their identity as one with a wholly unique and defining sound.Blonde Redhead is comprised of Italian twins Amedeo and Simone Pace, and Kazu Makino, who skipped out of Kyoto, Japan to arrive in the states during the early '90s. The group has put out several albums, including their self-titled debut Blonde Redhead, La Mia Vita Violenta, and Fake Can Be Just as Good. Their last release before Misery was Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons, which showcased maturation and a promise of good things to come. Well, kids, good things have come indeed.
Assumingly correlated with their switch from the label Smells Like Records to 4AD, the band has shed the beat up leather jacket of punk rock for a more gossamer cloak of floating strings, soft arpeggios, and ever-present synthesizers. But the softness isn't without an edge. Like smeared lipstick, the beauty comes with the tense, mildly dirty quality that's been present in Blonde Redhead's music since their beginning.
The first single off of the album is the first track, "Elephant Woman." Beatles-esque cello and rhythmic chamber melodies roll and waver behind Makino's signature plaintive vocals. Sweet and mysterious enough to put a knot in the belly, this track sets the album's tone from the beginning.
Other noteworthy tracks include "Maddening Cloud" and "Equus." Characterized by a head swaying beat and Rhodes-like keyboard melodies, "Maddening Cloud" again showcases the vocal talents and contemplative lyrics of Kazu. "Why did you kill that poor old man, Melody? She said, he was never good to me. She said, he was never kind to me."
"Equus," sung by both Amedeo and Kazu, starts off with muted breathing and punctuated bass, overlaid with an interesting psychedelic synth sequence. More sporadic and less ambient than most of the other tracks, this song provides a much needed change of pace towards the end of the album.
Constant qualities of Misery include simplistic percussion, a medium pace, melancholy instrumentation, tasteful strings that neither swell to the point of movie soundtrack obnoxiousness nor build to a shattering climax, and a (very) subtle reminiscence of the darker, late '80's/early '90's sound of groups as the Cocteau Twins (also on 4ad), early Cure, and even a touch of Legendary Pink Dots.
While many of the tracks on this album sound similar to each other, and the element of "rock" is barely there, this album is sure to please both old and new fans alike. Rest assured, Blonde Redhead are no posers.
Free Music Review: They have something to sing about this time
Hit: 4 Stars
This is a new sound for BR, and is a bit mushy and cinematic compared to their earlier no-wave influenced stuff. "Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons" is still their best, followed by their noisier, edgier first two albums. But this one occupies a special place in the lineup. Read on and I'll explain why.First off there are some beautiful tracks you should not miss out on. The title track is the best, followed by "Melody," "Elephant Woman," and "Messenger" in that order. There are on the hand some tracks I can't stand, like "Doll is Mine," where Amedeo just sounds whiny and squeaky, "Maddening Cloud" which has no compelling melody for me, and "Pink Love," which drags on in swirly silliness for over six minutes.
Lyrically, however, this is probably the best BR album out there. Before "Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons" Blonde Redhead songs were as a rule inscrutable. Now they have something to sing about.
The key to understanding it all is to know about Kazu's horse-riding accident in 2002. After falling off she was trampled, breaking her teeth and jaw, which was wired shut for over eight weeks. Having one of your lead singers' jaws wired shut is not exactly conducive to making music. That's why the last time we heard from BR was back in 2000.
They're back though and have turned all the misery of the past 4 years into some great lyrics. "Elephant Woman" is about Kazu's disfigurement, while both "Magic Mountain" and "Pink Love" contain references to Thomas Mann's famous book about an invalid. "Equus" (note title) is a bit more tongue-in-cheek: "Sometimes I think I must just let you be / let you be a horse / all I wanted was to be a rider."
As the album progresses, however, you'll begin to sense overtones of recovery in the songs. This bodes well for BR and for BR fans alike. Get well soon BR! I, for one, can't wait to hear what you'll sing about next.
Free Music Review: Better Every Time.
Hit: 4 Stars
As I've been buying Blonde Redhead records since their self-titled LP came out, I almost negected to listen to "Misery is a Butterfly" out of pretentious, pre-emptive boredom.
I have to admit: This is an incredible record. The first time I heard it, I was turned off by how massive and polished it sounded compared to their prior records. As a big fan of "Fake Can Be Just As Good" this is not what I ussually look for in a Blonde Redhead Album. This is a massive, solid and majestic record that easily creates its own universe.
One of the concerns that I've heard is that each song captures a particular mood so perfectly, that after a while, all of the songs can begin to meld, and the whole album may begin to feel like one really long song.
Don't worry though, whenever you're in the mood to listen to this record, it will probably be because of it's abillity to maintain a dark, dreamy and romanticzed vibe for 40 minutes straight; not in spite of it.
"Misery", like "Damaged Lemons" before it, finds the band becoming more and more interested in straighter pop, more traditional songwriting, and smoother arrangements. In this vein, "Misery is a Butterfly" is a much greater success.
I don't know what misguided A&R stooge picked "Equus" as a single. Any other song would have provided a more honest glimpse of what the record is all about. It is the one occasion on "Misery" where the band seems insincere. It appears that they made a misguided effort to be "current" and conform to the pseudo-'hipster' conventions that have been established by artists that they've influenced themselves.
Although they're plauged by some small degree of inconsistency, Blonde Redhead are sure to continue releasing some of the most timeless music available today.
Free Music Review: Swirling Sounds in a Hurricane of Noise with Blonde Redhead's Best Work to date
Hit: 4 Stars
Blonde Redhead is a name Kazu Makino, Maki Takahashi and Italian twin brothers Simone and Amedeo Pace came up with supporting New York No wave bands.
Blonde Redhead uses alternative tunings and wall-wall guitar blasts much to the tune of Sonic Youth, but with this release Bonde Redhead has created a sound that is all their own. You won't hear these mix of keyboards, swirling guitars, and precise drumming anywhere else. Especially adding Kazu's and Amadeo's fractured spectral harmonies. Kazu's vocals takes you on a journey with her high soprano and desperte shrieks. Pure glorious beauty.
Amadeo Pace's voice balances out 'Misery Is A Butterfly' as a noble tenor, adding nice variety. I don't mind it as much when he sings with Kazu, but I don't care as much when he sings songs on his own. The 10th track "Pink Love" is a Wonderful song and a Good balance of both singers' voices.
'Misery Is A Butterfly' is Blonde Redhead's fifth album and their first on label 4AD released in 2004.
It took longer for this band to put this album together(Kazu had a accident) - but what I have heard from BR - this is their Best work to date, even compared to their newest release in 2007 "23"-
This one here is full of charm with it's wonderful strings, gorgeous instrumental flourishes and keyboards.
Blonde Redhead has found their true sound with 'Misery Is A Butterfly' - Darkly romantic and atmospheric, a kind of sadness in some ways.
If you are new to Blonde Redhead I suggest getting this one first. It is better then earlier 90s releases of theirs.
-Favorite track- the closer "Equus" - A burst of joyful disstressed energy from Kazu. Simply Brilliant.
Free Music Review: A new listener, and a new fan
Hit: 4 Stars
Being a new listener, I have no background with Blonde Redhead's art rock beginnings, nor have I yet caught their 2000 sleeper hit "Melody Of Certain Damaged Lemons" in my CD collection net. But by all accounts, they certainly have emerged from a cocoon and developed a new moody sound, and it's a sound worth hearing! Their new release is thoroughly melodic, laden with chorus-y deliberate guitar lines and keyboards that border on the ethereal and at times convey what can only be described as well planned ominous emotion. Reverb on the guitars is a rare occurrence; the album never ever descends into noise or any sort of musical chaos but is more characterized by a meticulous, tuned, or even dreamy sound. It has taken me a few listens to become accustomed to the high pitched style of the vocalists, but once it settles in they work nicely across the whole album, giving the tracks a consistency throughout. The closing two tracks break out of the mold a bit from most of the album; I love the fluttering keyboards in the opening of "Pink Love", and "Equus" which looks to be the next single coming close to rockin'. And "Equus" is the only song on the album that comes to mind when I hear others compare them to Sonic Youth; more often I am tempted to draw and admittedly oblique comparison to bands like Cocteau Twins, Elysian Fields, or Goldfrapp.